Should I Use My Personal Facebook Profile Page for Business?

Is it ok to use my Facebook personal profile page to promote my business?

I get this question a lot. 

And what most marketers, bloggers, entrepreneurs, will answer is “Business Page.”  

Well, I’m going to get a little controversial here.

Because I don’t agree at all.

Yes, you should use your Facebook personal page for business

I absolutely believe you should be using your Facebook personal page for business. 

In fact, using your personal Facebook page can actually be a powerful way to grow your reach, your audience, and your business, organically (meaning no ads).

It’s what I do and how I’ve made tens of thousands of dollars from Facebook.

It’s what my clients do. And it’s what a ton of other successful business owners do.

I know, I know… 

You have questions.

But before you start protesting, “But Wendy, you can’t advertise with a Facebook personal profile page!” or “Wendy, it’s against the rules!”

…hear me out.

There are a lot of great reasons to use both to promote your business, and have them work together in harmony to build your brand, expand your reach, and get sales.

And, the rules aren’t what you think they are.

Let me explain…

Facebook Personal Profile Pages Have a Way Bigger Reach

Posts to your personal page are going to get so many more eyeballs on them without having to run any expensive ads.

In contrast, Facebook Business pages are pay-to-play, meaning that in order to get your messages seen, you have to run ads.

So if you post to your Facebook Business page, chances are only about 2% of your followers are going to see your post organically.

It’s the way Facebook uses their algorithm (how they determine which posts are shown, and how often), to entice businesses to spend advertising dollars.

However, when you post and interact as a personal page, the number of people you are able to reach organically (with NO ad spend) goes way up.

The key is to make strategic Friend requests.

Instead of Friending all your old high school buddies (and they aren’t that exciting anyway), the key is to begin making Friend connections with people who would be ideal clients for you.

Now if you’re thinking, “Wait a sec. I thought it was against the rules to use a personal page for business,” well, you’re mostly right.

According to Facebook’s rulebook, you are not allowed to use a personal page solely for business purposes.

That said, you can use your personal page to help your community learn more about business, showcase your expertise, grow your brand, and share posts that show your personal, totally unique, and awesome side.

I recommend posting business-related content (client stories, blog previews, promotions, business tips, Q&As, etc.), alongside some select personal content such as hobbies, vacations, etc.

It is an art and a balance.

I don’t recommend posting super-personal content if you’re using your personal page for business, and I also don’t recommend obliterating your Facebook personal page with salesy posts either.

What I’m saying is, this: you can use your Facebook Personal profile effectively speak to your community of clients and friends with a unified voice. 

After all, YOU and your personality are what makes your brand unique (Read: How to build a personal brand for more info.)

YOU are what makes your services stand out from others.

And YOU are what you’re ultimately selling your clients.

At the end of the day, your clients are going to hire, pay and trust a real, live person. 

That’s you. 

And you just might find (like I have) that your closest friends and family turn out to be some of your biggest Facebook fans, and can help expand your reach to new leads, too!

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You Can Engage In Facebook Groups As An Authority 

I’ve written an entire, separate blog post on the topic here: How to Get Clients From Facebook Groups: Business Guide to Facebook Group Marketing

But here’s the gist:

Facebook Groups can be an excellent way to engage with peers, partners and potential clients. And when you join a group, your posts, comments, etc. are going to be far more visible to group members than any business page posts (because of that pesky Facebook algorithm we talked about).

When you engage as a person in Facebook Groups, rather than as a business, your posts are going to come across as far more trustworthy than a Facebook Business page post. 

Facebook group members are searching for thoughtful answers and expertise, not to be advertised to.

And when you post your super-thoughtful answer to a member’s question (“How does everyone feel about the new Pantone color of the year?”), they can click your name by your comment (“It’s a great fit for the restaurant industry! Here’s why…”) and head straight over to your personal page to see what other information you have to offer. 

And when they go there, they will see all of the useful business tips that you’ve provided.

Use Your Facebook Personal Profile and your Facebook Business Page

With all that said, it’s still a good idea to have a Facebook Business page, too.

And here’s why:

• Insights – data about your followers, when they’re online, which posts had the most clicks, etc.
• Advertising – put money toward reaching a specific audience for a targeted campaign.
• Tagging – make it easy for other partner businesses to tag you in their posts with your @shortname.
• Scheduling – plan and schedule posts for weeks (or even months) at a time.
• Managing – outsource your business page postings to a social media marketer.

You can do a lot with a Facebook Business page that you simply can’t with a Facebook personal profile, which why I truly advocate for using both.

Eventually, you’re going to get to a place where you have an advertising budget and Facebook is going to be a good fit. When this day comes around, you’ll want a business page that already has followers, history, and data. 

You don’t want to start from scratch at that point.

Instead, use your Facebook personal profile and Facebook Business page together, engaging your audience with one, unified voice. Advertise with the one, converse with the other, join (and interact in) Facebook groups, and publish content in each of the most relevant places.

Use Both Facebook Pages In Harmony

So you see, the answer isn’t black and white. It’s not whether to use your personal page or business page. It’s how to use them together.

And when you do this with intention and strategy, not only will you get leads and clients, but also more partnerships, referrals, speaking events, interviews and more! Because you’ll be engaging with your audience on their territory. Whether they want to follow a business page, get to know you better on a personal page, or strike up conversions in Facebook Groups, you’ll be there.

Watch out Facebook, here you come!

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